Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Alsark 01-23-07, 03:18 PM	Hello there. I DM some sessions and a player had informed that I was doing my charging incorrectly. I'm not very good with the rules - I'm still learning, so it's seemingly possible that I am doing this wrong, but I wanted to double-check because even after rereading the bit on charging, I'm still not completely persuaded by what my player was saying. Now, I know that when your reach is fight feet, you charge to the closest spot that you can get to your opponent to make your attack; but how is this dealt with when your reach is ten feet? The way I looked at it, you had to be in the CLOSEST space next to your foe. The way my player saw it was that you had to be in the very first square that allows you to attack. I can understand what he was saying, but what I didn't agree with was that he was saying I CAN'T be in the square right next to him. He said I can make an attack with ten feet reach ONLY at ten feet away, not at five. Here is the exact sentence that was up for debate (link to source (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#charge)): First, you must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. I can understand what he was saying, but at the same time, why shouldn't you be able to charge all the way right up next to the guy? I had asked for the opinions of the other players in my game, and one had agreed with the player who brought that up, while the other, like me, didn't see why you couldn't get right up next to the guy. So what do you all say on this? I'll be a lot more convinced when more than just one person tells me how I've been doing this incorrectly.
shamus_the_daft 01-23-07, 04:01 PM	If you are using a weapon with ten foot reach you cant attack some one who is closer than ten feet away so for example if you charge on foot with a long spear youy would stop attack at ten feet or if you use a 1 inch by one inch battle mat you would stop with one square away or look at it like this when you charge some one with a reach weapon you are trying to impale them with it so you charge to the point where it would be most effective
tarkin 01-23-07, 04:25 PM	That rule is actually a GOOD thing for charging. It prevents the "I step out of the way abuse". You would laugh at a player that says "I ready an action to step out of the way of an arrow" right? I hope so. Similarly, some people want to do this: "I ready an action to step INTO the person charging with a lacnce when he is exactly 11 ft away from me. Because my action goes first, I am now too close for him to hit me. But I can hit him because I am 5ft away from him. Ha Ha" They can not do this because Charge REQUIRES you to attack when you get within range. It is not a seperate action on your part, it is the completion of a previously started action. You don't have a choice, it must happen. Therefore, the smart aleck player's plan does not work - you automatically attack them when they get in range, because your charge attacks is not controlled by you.
jalaziel 01-23-07, 04:59 PM	Even with a weapon which threatens at both 5' and 10' (ie Spiked Chain) then your attack is still initiated at 10' as it's the closest space from where you began the charge.
Alsark 01-23-07, 05:31 PM	Gotcha. Thanks for the answers. I just thought it was weird that, in this case an ape, can't hit somebody who is five feet away from him with his hands. Doesn't seem realistic to me, heh, but I'll play by the rules of the game. I can understand the lance scenario, but not really in the case of natural weapons.
G_Mancer 01-23-07, 10:19 PM	Natural reach is different than weapon reach. the answer to the question off sunder is the same, but a creature with natural reach of 10ft can attack foes both 10ft away and 5ft away.
Alsark 01-24-07, 10:58 AM	Ah, okay, so to summarize... 1) Creatures charging with ten foot reach, whether with a weapon reach or natural reach, MUST attack from ten feet away, and CAN'T attack from five? 2) Creatures with a weapon reach of ten cannot attack creatures five feet away, even when not charging, but creatures with a natural reach of ten can attack creatures five feet away?
Black Mantha 01-24-07, 12:39 PM	Ah, okay, so to summarize... 1) Creatures charging with ten foot reach, whether with a weapon reach or natural reach, MUST attack from ten feet away, and CAN'T attack from five? 2) Creatures with a weapon reach of ten cannot attack creatures five feet away, even when not charging, but creatures with a natural reach of ten can attack creatures five feet away? Yeah, that's it. The spiked chain is an exception, though.